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11 Years Post-Transition, Rock Singer Embraces Manhood Again, Igniting Discussions Online
Rock Singer Reclaims Male Identity After 11 Years As A Trans Woman, Sparking Online DebateRock Singer Reclaims Male Identity After 11 Years As A Trans Woman, Sparking Online Debate
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Rock Singer Reclaims Male Identity After 11 Years As A Trans Woman, Sparking Online Debate

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Keith Caputo, lead singer of Life of Agony, announced that he was detransitioning to live as a man again, after previously living as a transgender woman. Keith plans to complete the process, including surgery, by 2025. Detransitioning remains rare but increasingly visible, often fueling polarizing debates about trans issues.

Taking to his Instagram page on November 19, on which he still uses his previous name “Mina,” Keith announced in a Reels video that he had scheduled surgery to “remove” his breasts.

Highlights
  • Keith Caputo, lead singer of Life of Agony, is detransitioning to male.
  • He plans to complete his detransition, including surgery, by 2025.
  • Keith has faced backlash for his statements against hormone treatments.
  • Detransitioning remains rare but is becoming more visible and debated.

He further stated that he was finally embracing his “divine male self” after “curing” his gender dysphoria, which took “many ears.”

Gender dysphoria is a feeling of distress or unease that can occur when a person’s gender identity doesn’t match their biological sex.

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    Keith Caputo, lead singer of Life of Agony, announced that he is detransitioning to live as a man again

    Rock singer performing on stage with a guitar.

    Image credits: Taylor Hill/Getty Images

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    It can affect people at any age, from childhood to adulthood, the NHS explains.

    Keith said he “rose above my misunderstanding of my soul and spirit,” emphasizing that he was detransitioning.

    “I’ll be physically completely de-transitioned in 2025. I can’t wait. I feel so free,” the New Yorker added.

    In July 2011, Keith came out as transgender and assumed the name Mina Caputo. Nevertheless, he has since affirmed that “I am a man. I always was a man.”

    Rock singer with bandmates in a black and white photo, wearing casual outfits.

    Image credits: lifeofagonyofficial

    Moreover, the 50-year-old has since posted on social media statements many have criticized as being transphobic, as Keith called hormones “disgusting” in addition to stating he was “very against transitioning children medically and especially surgically.”

    Keith has since used his platform to advocate against transgender health care. On Sunday, (November 24) the singer took to his Instagram page to announce that he believes only two genders exist.

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    He also wrote that “gender-affirming care is a euphemistic label for the biggest medical scandal to hit the Western world in recent years.”

    He previously lived as a transgender woman

    Rock singer with bandmates wearing face paint and dark clothing, posing in a dimly lit corridor.

    Image credits: lifeofagonyofficial

    While many conservatives agreed with Keith’s statements, experts have expressed that these types of views delegitimize medically and scientifically backed practices that improve the mental and physical well-being of transgender individuals.

    Gender-affirming care, which includes counseling, hormone therapy, and surgical interventions, is supported by major medical organizations worldwide, such as the World Health Organization, as essential and often lifesaving treatment for gender dysphoria.

    Transitioning for a transgender person is the process of aligning their outward appearance and/or physical body with their gender identity, which may include social changes like adopting a new name or pronouns, medical interventions such as hormone therapy or surgeries, and changes in clothing or presentation.

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    Rock singer performing on stage, wearing sunglasses and a pinstripe suit, holding a microphone.

    Image credits: Greetsia Tent/Getty Images

    Detransitioning, on the other hand, involves halting or reversing these changes, which could include stopping hormone therapy, undergoing surgeries to remove prior modifications, or reverting to a previous name or presentation.

    Both processes are deeply personal and can stem from a variety of reasons, including evolving self-understanding, societal pressures, or health considerations.

    Detransition rates for transgender people in the USA vary depending on the study and methodology used and can range from 1% to 8%, according to Oxford Academic.

    Keith plans to complete the process, including surgery, by 2025

    Rock singer with friends, wearing casual shirts and hats, posing energetically in a vibrant setting.

    Image credits: lifeofagonyofficial

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    A study suggested that 8% of respondents detransitioned, with higher rates for transgender women.

    Meanwhile, an Amsterdam Cohort of Gender Dysphoria Study showed that 0.6% of trans women and 0.3% of trans men experienced regret after gonadectomy, a surgical procedure to remove the gonads, which are the organs that develop into ovaries or testes.

    Additionally, research by Dr. Jack Turban showed that 90% of people who return to their assigned gender in the US do so due to social pressure, not regret.

    Rock singer with three band members posing against city skyline.

    Image credits: AllMusic

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    Testimonies of detransitioners have often been used to promote transphobic narratives. Advocates have consequently warned that such coverage of such testimonies exaggerates the prevalence of transition regret, NBC News reported in December 2019.

    Experts have emphasized the need for accurate reporting and consultation with medical professionals to counter the stigma and misinformation surrounding transgender health care.

    Detransitioning remains rare but increasingly visible, often fueling polarizing debates about trans issues

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    Rock singer in sunglasses and hoodie outdoors, discussing detransition plans.

    Image credits: minacaputo

    “I think the reason why detransition stories are popular in this given time is because it neatly fits into this idea that young people especially are being made to be trans,” Lui Asquith, a legal counselor for UK-based LGBTQ group Mermaids, told NBC News.

    Lui added: “The media are conjuring up a panic about trans lives, and the first victims of that panic are the young people who are indirectly being told that they’re a phase.”

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by minacaputo (@minacaputo)

    Dr. Stephen Rosenthal, medical director for the University of California, San Francisco, Child and Adolescent Gender Center, said before the onset of puberty, there’s “no role” for medical intervention in a person who might be transgender, something that is not always made clear in media coverage, as per NBC News.

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    Before puberty, transgender health experts reportedly recommend mental health support and allowing kids to socially transition, like changing names or clothes, to reduce depression and help them thrive.

    Taking to his Instagram page on November 19, he revealed that he had scheduled surgery to “remove” his breasts

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by minacaputo (@minacaputo)

    A groundbreaking study published by The Trevor Project in September found that state-level anti-transgender laws significantly increased suicide attempts among more than 61,000 transgender and nonbinary youth in the US between 2018 and 2022.

    The study highlighted how policies restricting gender-affirming care, bathroom access, and participation in activities aligned with gender identity harm mental health.

    Online comment discussing detransition and gender-affirming care.

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    Comment discussing detransition and gender identity.

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    Comment about name choice in response to rock singer's detransition.

    Comment on a rock singer's decision to detransition.

    Comment expressing mixed emotions on rock singer's decision to detransition.

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    Comment on rock singer's decision to detransition, expressing criticism of his approach.

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    Comment discussing happiness and misinformation related to a rock singer's detransition.

    Text from trans woman addressing singer's comments on transgender youth, expressing hope and sharing transition experience.

    Text discussing gender identity and self-discovery, emphasizing transition and personal growth beyond fixed points.

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    Text expressing disappointment over a rock singer's statements on detransitioning, mentioning feelings of betrayal.

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    Andréa Oldereide

    Andréa Oldereide

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

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    I’m a journalist who works as Bored Panda’s News Team's Senior Writer. The news team produces stories focused on pop culture. Whenever I get the opportunity and the time, I investigate and produce my own exclusive stories, where I get to explore a wider range of topics. Some examples include: “Doberman Tobias the viral medical service dog” and “The lawyer who brought rare uterine cancer that affects 9/11 victims to light”. You've got a tip? email me: andrea.o@boredpanda.com

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    Andréa Oldereide

    Andréa Oldereide

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    I’m a journalist who works as Bored Panda’s News Team's Senior Writer. The news team produces stories focused on pop culture. Whenever I get the opportunity and the time, I investigate and produce my own exclusive stories, where I get to explore a wider range of topics. Some examples include: “Doberman Tobias the viral medical service dog” and “The lawyer who brought rare uterine cancer that affects 9/11 victims to light”. You've got a tip? email me: andrea.o@boredpanda.com

    What do you think ?
    Aroace tiger (she/they/he)
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Its ok to detransition. Duh. Being a detransitioner isn't transphobic. Also duh. Using it to say trans healthcare is bad is a d**k move

    meow point1
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I guess the reason he started being transphobic was because he thought, "I turned out not to be trans, therefore everyone who thinks they're trans is wrong". But that's a load of baloney, because just because something applies to *you* doesn't mean it applies to *everyone*.

    person (i think)
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    There are a lot of solipsistic people out there, and I see we have identified another one

    Load More Replies...
    The Starsong Princess
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    What’s with these people who think because it didn’t work for them that it should be forbidden for everyone? That’s like getting a knee replacement and being dissatisfied with it like 11% to 20% are (far greater than the dissatisfaction rate with gender affirming surgery) so you campaign against knee replacements to keep people crippled with knee pain from getting them.

    Load More Comments
    Aroace tiger (she/they/he)
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Its ok to detransition. Duh. Being a detransitioner isn't transphobic. Also duh. Using it to say trans healthcare is bad is a d**k move

    meow point1
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I guess the reason he started being transphobic was because he thought, "I turned out not to be trans, therefore everyone who thinks they're trans is wrong". But that's a load of baloney, because just because something applies to *you* doesn't mean it applies to *everyone*.

    person (i think)
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    There are a lot of solipsistic people out there, and I see we have identified another one

    Load More Replies...
    The Starsong Princess
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    What’s with these people who think because it didn’t work for them that it should be forbidden for everyone? That’s like getting a knee replacement and being dissatisfied with it like 11% to 20% are (far greater than the dissatisfaction rate with gender affirming surgery) so you campaign against knee replacements to keep people crippled with knee pain from getting them.

    Load More Comments
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